Any keen bikers out there? (Cyclists not motorbikers)

VestanPance

To be honest you can get bikes cheaper than what I've quoted and you may find the odd bargain in the £300-400 bracket for a new bike. If you keep an eye on the brands I've mentioned you'll not go far wrong. Brands like Trek, Giant, Specialized and Ridgeback are good in that sector.

If you can stretch to £400/500 you will certainly be able to get a really good bike that will be built to last. It just a shame in the last few years that bike prices have been heading in an upwards direction.

YORKSHIRELASS

Like your husband I am cutting down on the running a bit and love getting out on my bike. Personally I would steer clear of Halfords Apollos. We bought my son one once and it was the biggest heap of junk we have ever owned.

Do a bit of research on spec online then go and find a bike shop where you can talk to someone and sit on a few bikes. There are so many variables on bikes and much of it is personal preference. For me a lighter alloy frame would be an absolute essential and I prefer a hard-tail (front suspension only).

We have bought two bikes from bikes2u before and they were very good. I have owned a Diamondback Mountain bike for a few years and have been very happy with it. I managed to pick up a last seasons bike online for about £300 having looked at the same one in a store. You might pick something up for less.

tea_lover

If there's a Leisure Lakes near you it's worth popping in. The one near us has brilliant customer service and helpful staff who really know their stuff.

(I have no connection with them, btw, just found them helpful when OH was last looking at bikes).

onlyroz

I had a Trek hybrid which cost around £350 ten years ago - it was great, though, and really well build. If he's doing off-roading then I think it's worth while getting a decent one because it'll need to be stronger than a road bike.

VestanPance

Taking a road bike off-roading I'd be more worried about the state of my buttocks than the bike! :eek:

FBaby

I wouldn't buy a bike without the advice of someone who really knows about mountain biking. My partner is a very avid mountain biker (goes three times a week regardless of weather) and his bike cost £3000!!! Saying that, he does more mileage a year than many do in their car!

I bought a bike for my son which I thought was a good one as not so cheap at all, but it turned out it was very heavy and not that great. Three months ago, we bought him a new one of ebay for only £60, a really good deal and the bike is fantastic, very good quality and would have been about £500 new, but my partner knew exactly what to look for.

aliasojo

FBaby wrote: »

I wouldn't buy a bike without the advice of someone who really knows about mountain biking.

That's why I'm asking here as a first step.

I don't want us to go into a shop looking as green as they come and end up being sold a) something unsuitable or b) something far too expensive for his needs, iyswim.

I expect there's places that will genuinely only sell you what you need at a realistic price but past experience has meant we're not too quick to *only* take store advice now.

Don't get me wrong, we will start looking in stores too and talking to them, it's just that we wanted some basic info to start with.

Sensible_Jess

aliasojo wrote: »

OH was into running and did various runs over the past few years, half marathons and the like.

However, he seem to have a problem with his leg and he pulls the same muscle constantly. It's been happening for months now. He went to a sports physio who massaged the leg and gave him advice but he still has problems and the muscle plays up regularly.

He's now thinking of stopping running for a longer time but is keen to not lose too much of his fitness so is considering taking up biking.

Hi OP

I can't offer you good advice on the bike front but the injury you described your OH having caught my eye:

Has he tried a foam roller which will help stretch and massage the muscle injury? somthing like this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Grid-Foam-Roller-Black/dp/B003HSDX92/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1340128388&sr=8-7
(other types are available and lots of videos on YouTube on different exercises)

This has really helped my OH after he got a knee injury whilst running recently, so thought I'd pass it on

S-J

aliasojo

Sensible_Jess wrote: »

Has he tried a foam roller which will help stretch and massage the muscle injury? somthing like this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Grid-Foam-Roller-Black/dp/B003HSDX92/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1340128388&sr=8-7

As it happens, he got the identical roller only last week.

He's just started using it so it's early days but he thought the muscle felt less taught and it was making a difference.

pavlovs_dog

buy him a unicycle and let him do laps of the garden. much cheaper and you get the entertainment thrown in too (until he crashes into your cucumbers :rotfl:)